Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique capable of executing and controlling sequential processing (i.e., a workflow) including a plurality of process steps (tasks).
Description of the Related Art
An information processing apparatus (e.g., an image forming apparatus) having the capability of adding an application software as a function expansion program is recently available. Adding a function expansion program (hereinafter, referred to as “expansion program”) is feasible not only at the time of factory shipment but also at an operational phase after installation. The added expansion program is similar to a basic program initially installed on the image forming apparatus in that the added expansion program can be displayed on a menu (hereinafter, referred to as “main menu”) as a function of the image forming apparatus.
Each expansion program is available with charge or without charge. Further, an expansion program may be usable as a trial version without imposing any charge in a limited period of time. License management is generally performed to prevent any unfair conduct in using an expansion program. A conventionally known license management method includes a product seller issuing a license file that describes license information and requiring a customer to apply the license file in a phase of installing the expansion program.
A multi function peripheral (MFP) is an image forming apparatus that has a scan function, a print function, a FAX transmission/reception function, an electronic mail transmission/reception function, in addition to a basic copy function. When a user intends to use a combination of respective functions, the user is required to perform settings for respective functions. User burden increases correspondingly.
As discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-310468, it is conventionally proposed to use a flow application capable of defining a workflow that preliminarily defines the execution order of a plurality of tasks corresponding to respective functions (e.g., copy, transmission, and print) of the MFP and processing setting contents of respective tasks.
Further, there is a conventionally proposed system that creates a workflow (hereinafter, referred to as “flow”) by using a flow creation application operable on a personal computer (PC), not the flow application, and distributes the created application to a plurality of image forming apparatuses.
The flow application displays a plurality of buttons representing respective flows having been defined, which can be pressed by a user, on an application screen. When a user presses a button, a task defined in the flow can be executed. Each flow defines a sequential operation of a plurality of tasks. Therefore, if each flow is extracted, it looks like a functionally independent application.
There is a demand for the above-mentioned flow that can be provided like an expansion program (like an independent application) to perform license management. However, the flow is data (e.g., XML file) that defines setting values of respective tasks, not an execution format file like an independent application. Therefore, the flow cannot be directly provided as an expansion program. Therefore, it was conventionally difficult to manage each flow like an expansion program based on license.
Further, there is a demand for an additional flow that can be displayed like an expansion program on the main menu so that each user can easily use the flow. However, the flow is data for the flow application. Therefore, even when a flow is newly added, it was conventionally difficult to display the added flow on the main menu, like an expansion program.